Fire-resisting floor construction



April 30, 1929.

w. F. ZABRISKIE FIRE RESISTING FLOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed June 22, 1925 anvemkoz Patented 3Q, 1929.

UITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. ZABRISKIE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO GABRIEL STEEL COM- PANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

FIRE-BESISTING FLOOR CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed June 22, 1925. Serial No. 38,846.

The invention relates to floor constructions being more particularly designed for use as first floors of buildings which are not of fireproof construction. It has been found that 5 the majority of fires in such buildings originate in the basement and if prevented from breaking through the first floor, will do little damage. I have, therefore, devised a comparatively inexpensive floor construction which, while not wholly incombustible and fireproof is nevertheless highly resistant to fires. The invention consists in the novel construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings;

Figure 1 is a vertical section through my improved construction, and

Figure 2 is a sectional perspective view of a portion thereof.

A are the floor joists which are preferably formed of metal structural shapes such, for instance, as the channel bars illustrated. These joists may, if desired, be trussed or reinforced by auxiliary bars B which are electrically welded or otherwise secured thereto and are bent to form the lower chord member of the truss with intermediate bars C forming the webbing. D are nailing strips preferably secured to the flat side of the joists A by suitable means such as the nails E passing through apertures in the web of said joists.

These strips may be bent as at F to pass around the reinforcing bars B and C at the points of attachment between same and the joists A. G is a sheathing formed of a highly fire-resistant material preferably composed of alternate layers of mineral and fibrous material. This sheathin is laid upon the joists and is covered by the lower or rough flooring H which latter is secured by nailing to the strips D. I is the finished flooring overlying the fiooring H and being laid and nailed thereto in the usual manner.

With the construction as described, the

only combustible material which is exposed on the underside of the floor is that formed by the nailing strips 1) and as these are protected on one side by the joists A and on the top by the sheathing G, there is little danger of ignition. In case any one of these nailing strips should be ignited, it is prevented from any fire below first by the excellent heat insulating properties of the sheathing G; second because of protection from direct access of the flames and third, by the exclusion from the lower surfaces of the air necessary to support combustion. The structure therefore greatly lessens fire hazard and is nevertheless of such a character that it may be built at a cost but slightly inexcess of the ordinary combustible construction.

If it is desired to add a further element of protection, a ceiling of metallic lath and plaster may be arranged below the floor joists as indicated at J, Figure 1.

-What I claim as my invention is:

1. A fire resisting floor construction comprising metallic joists, wooden nailing strips secured to said joists, a sheathing formed of heat insulating material overlying said oists and completely covering the spaces therebetween, and a wooden flooring laid upon said sheathing in direct contact therewith and nailed through said sheathing to said nailing strips.

2. A fire resisting flooring comprising metallic joists having nailing strips secured to the sides thereof, a sheathing of incombustible heat insulating material overlying said joists and completely covering the spaces therebetween, a rough wooden flooring laid on said sheathing in direct contact therewith and nailed through the same to said nailing strips and a finished flooring laid upon and nailed to said rough flooring.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM F. ZABRISKIE, 

